Julia Fedorov

Epic

Revisado: 12-23-19

As a lifelong bookreader with thousands under my belt, I tripped over this while looking for something long to listen to a year or two ago. Since then, I've relistened to it dozens of times. I've over 700 titles in my audiolibrary, most 10-20 hours long with lots of relistens, but this book is simply the best sort of fantasy epic. Animals being animals but being real people too, material suitable for kids and adults both, action and danger and every form of love that it comes in. The world is immediately encompassing, but easy to sink into, and it's unveiling is timed perfectly for story development. The plot twists and turns in ways that remind you that everyone fights for something, loves someone and makes mistakes. Not to mention the most satisfying ending to a book that still leaves you wanting more. This is a cheesy review, but seriously. If you hesitated long enough to read reviews, try this book. If it helps, this is also the most underrated hidden gem of a narrator I've ever stumbled upon. Amongst the top 5 most talented in my book ( right alongside Ray Porter, if that helps orient you to my tastes of narrators) and I wish there was more out there by him just so I could enjoy it.

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Prepare to feel incomplete

Revisado: 07-04-19

I was so excited for this. Unfortunately it seemed like all the concepts of the previous books, all the setup was abandoned. What I could not believe was that there was a trope of Epic Misunderstanding set up, discovered, and then.... totally unaddressed. The good guys were presented with constant obvious opportunity to realize the bad guys weren't bad, seemed to see it, then proceeded to go the KILL THEM ALL route without even pausing to have a dark night of the soul. There's no consistency of past characters, and then there's no point to have made the 'bad guys' so obviously not bad at all and well developed if they were just going to be made to disappear without even a "everything is shades of grey no one can be just good or bad" message. Nada. And if the author intended to make a point with all this lead-up, they failed utterly. Everything was left at loose ends, not a single storyline was developed to an satisfying end, good or bad. I am just so let down by such a rich story coming to a bizarrely nonsensical end.

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Pros and Cons

Revisado: 05-28-19

Okay, I've listened to this series into the double digits and will keep going. The story is fantastic, the cast is most excellent for the size of the series. The narrator is improving and learning as they go and it's wonderful. Overall I recommend this series and don't think my complaints would've stopped me from buying it. Hell it's probably the third time I'm listening. That said, I do a LOT of listening and relistening. The main character deeply indulges in a form of self-pity that is only barely reasonable and requires a lot of reassurance by others that never meant anything even mildly blameworthy. Angst makes total sense, but it feels very shallow here, very scripted. Note that this does lessen and the story really good is too fantastic to pass up. Keep going. It only gets better.

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The story

Revisado: 05-28-19

Guys . The story is pretty great. Yes, the narrator is...learning. There's some character cliche choices. But the story is awesome, and the narrator and characters grow. Give it a shot.

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good god.

Revisado: 03-15-19

This book broke my heart and made me T-Rex-roar in triumph simultaneously. Just be prepared to face the terrible sadness that is life and finish on a note of deep anticipation, and throw in some Lovecraft all over it, shake it up and sip slow enough to savor.

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If only

Revisado: 02-21-19

The main character lived up to the rest of the book. Or to the rest of the characters. Or maybe if one of them smacked the girl upside her head,that would have done the trick. I've rarely seen a more self pitying chick in my life. It's like we were supposed to forget how much David genuinely tried only to be basically called trash in the last book. I kept expecting her to have some sort of revelation that you can't tell a guy to go away every time he looks at you and then feel like he's the one not trying hard enough, but nope. Her emotional immaturity makes women look awful in a way that makes it super hard for girls who really DO want a guy to leave them alone and that really spoiled the otherwise excellent storyline and characters for me.

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Very interesting

Revisado: 02-21-19

I liked the story a great deal. a little iffy on the immaturity of the main character, but the rest of the cast is fascinating. Can't wait to see how the next book in the series goes!

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Almost...

Revisado: 02-14-19

Just....the word is "dragged." Yes, "drug" can be...not wrong, if you want to take it to serious grammar court, but even then the judge is going to look at you funny. But the word is "dragged." Also, you sort of lost me at "she made an animalistic noise that was inhuman." Amongst other embarrassing bits of writing style, this needed an editor. The story is good, I needed to listen to it to finish off the arc, but it needs both editing and maybe some more legit research.

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Eh.

Revisado: 01-11-19

While I didn't mind the use of existing characters, and the storyline chosen was interesting enough, I don't think I'll be relistening. Maybe it's because I had such high expectations after Anne and Todd's work, but this one felt...young. The writing was immature, more like a talented teenager's first novel. A little too much explanation throughout the book of unnecessary things, and while the action was done well, the dialogue was awkward, stilted and didn't flow like conversation. The plot also unfolded without any real subtlety- more like bashed you over the head with LOOK AT HOW CLEVER THIS IS. I don't know, I was just a bit let down.

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In the minority.... sort of but not real

Revisado: 01-11-19

So I feel the need to cover the less than glowing bits that no one else seems to mind. So yes, this was long awaited for me and also deeply enjoyed. My criticism is small and more personal than anything. ****MAYBE POSSIBLE SPOILERS I ATTEMPTED TO KEEP VAGUE AFTER THIS POINT**** Sometimes, readers get more attached to secondary characters than the main of the main, and it's a little bit lame that this author seems way more willing to preserve the OTPs at the cost of nearly every secondary character people might care about. I'd consider it impressive how many the author is ready to kill off for both plot and proof she can bear to...but this feels a little like miracles magically (and expectedly) happened for the OTPs and secondaries were sacrificed to cover for the 'realistic death' quotient. There were also some that felt like an anticlimactic end to a great deal of building up. Basically the deaths that seemed 'worth it' for either plot or shock were few. Also there's no need to doggedly write quite so many sexual encounters when one is not comfortable in writing them. Either write them or write them a la Stephen King- the flirting, the lead in, then straight to aftermath. The sex was stunted and glossed but lasted too long to be either, and thus FELT like an author uncomfortable writing sex scenes to me... I'm happy with or without,but not this mildly awkward result. ALL THAT SAID, it was a satisfying ending to tale and worth the credit. Yep, I might have saved the most important approval bit for the endand kept it nondescript, but it's important to get a reader's ENTIRE opinion without skimping. I might have some very specific points of disappointment, but overall I will listen to it again happily.

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